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you in. and this line keeps going down. at the top of the show we asked what you're doing and why you're awake. of course, john tower, what do you got for us? >> we have karen. i'm coming down to the dubliner to hang out, get my chuck todd button ready. >> you know these chuck todd buttons. heard a lot of chat about this. never seen one. never seen anyone wearing one. kind of taking on their own mythological life of their own. great show everyone. "morning joe" starts live now from the dubliner. good morning, and welcome to a special edition of "morning joe" on this monday january the 21st. we are live, once again, from the dubliner in washington, d.c. president barack obama's second-term inauguration. we have a remarkable crowd here.

some people coming as far as ireland to be with us. they're already drinking outside. >> it's very very friendly crowd, i'll tell you that much. >> very friendly. >> now as mandated by the constitution, the president was officially sworn in to office on january 20th less than 24 hours ago. chief justice john roberts administered the oath during a private ceremony at the white house. unlike four years ago, they got it right this time on the first take. president obama's youngest daughter sasha offered her approval. >> congratulations mr. president. >> thank you, mr. chief justice. thank you so much. >> congratulations. >> thank you, sweetie. >> hey. thank you. >> good job, daddy. >> i did it. all right. thank you, everybody. >> so cute. >> didn't mess up. >> good girls. all right. so we've got the start of a new chapter for the 51-year-old president.

>> you know after a divided first four years in office he starts anew. there's a lot of hope inside the white house and outside the white house that the next four years will be better than the last as far as actually washington working together. today he's going to be publicly sworn in from the capitol overlooking the national mall followed by the inaugural address. >> and today is expected to take on a less spectacular tone than came with the messages of hope and change that drew huge crowds in 2009. one thing that hasn't changed, "morning joe" -- >> we're here. >> yeah we're back at the watering hole back where we were four years ago live at the dubliner. oh that's us four years ago? can we not do that? in front of a great crowd here in washington, d.c. we have an amazing crowd here. i was a little overwhelmed when we drove up. i didn't think they'd let us in. >> they actually keep going all the way to alexandria. >> the line goes around the block and then some.

>> we have msnbc contributor -- hey, everybody outside. >> that's right. look at that. some of the people inside. we'll have an amazing show today. very exciting. we've got, of course colin powell coming. we have david gregory, chris matthews a cast of thousands. let's start with mike barnicle and john meachem. >> also michael steele. good to have you here michael. and mnbc chief foreign affairs correspondent, andrea mitchell. >> look at those uggs. >> i got to be outside all day. this is my only warm moment. >> i'm impressed. they look great. >> hardly fashionable. >> mika are you excited? compare today to how you felt four years ago. >> yeah but i think it's measured.

and i think that's actually probably the tone the white house is taking at this point. there's a lot to be done. and a lot of things that have happened that i think need to be grown on or corrected, given the first four years. but it's always an exciting day to be able to be a part of witnessing history as it happens here in washington. it's an amazing day. >> john the second term i don't care what the counterintuitive historians and essayists say, the second term is so much more difficult than the first term. you're racing to the midterms where after that you know you're, in effect a lame duck. >> starting at 12:01 or thereabouts, everyone in the process will be looking to their next election except for the president. so his clock moves faster than anyone els as he looks broader and farther, everyone else with a stake in the system will be looking narrower and more closely at their next election. so it'll be very tough.

there's also the mathematical reality reality. four more years and the hardest job in the world means you have four more years of incredibly different problems. i promise you when we watch his successor drive up pennsylvania avenue in four years, we'll be talking about something we will not mention today. some unforeseen crisis. >> andrea mitchell what are you looking for over the next four years? >> you have a president who is actually energized by a feeling of possibilities. i think the way he took on guns that whole issue, that was not discussed at all during the campaign. he responded to the crisis. one of his opponents, ted cruz, the new tea-party supported senator said on "meet the press" yesterday, well he exploited it within minutes. that's not the perception, i think, around the country. it's going to be tough. >> i've been a little tough on ted cruz thus far because he's a lawyer. he knows better. i have to say i was shocked he

brought up an example that's just false when he said the poor woman that has a crack house next door and can't have her own handgun. yes, actually -- >> she can. >> she can. if i'm not mistaken i think this guy actually clerked for the supreme court. i think he did. >> he's harvard two degrees -- >> so how could he so misstate the law on guns when in fact scalia and the supreme court in 2008 specifically said a woman in anacostia in a crack house next door could have a handgun? and also saying the president exploited this, could somebody tell him he's actually senator of a very large demographically changing state and not the spokesman for the tea party for, like, you know, the greater tea party, the greater houston chapter of the tea party? i was shocked. >> i was shocked too. frankly, because he seemed to be

saying in the senatorial way, cruz, my friend and they barely know each other. cruz went after him over and over and over again. it was a very unusual performance by a freshman senator who doesn't seem to want to get along, wants to start a fire here. >> the problem is mika if this had happened in 2010 i'd say i understand the politics of it. the republican party i'm sorry, we have our backs against the wall. the president of the united states has a 52% approval rating. john boehner has an 18% approval rating. the tea party, a 9% approval rating. i wonder what lens they are looking through. >> well i think that's the problem. i think that's the problem with ted cruz's performance yesterday, michael steele because that is not what i think we're going to see down the road road, the new republican party is going to look like. >> i think coming on the heels of the inauguration in the next few weeks, what the american people are looking for is that

rodney king moment that little bit of light where we can get along and begin to get things done. i think to joe's point, and to yours, mika yesterday ted cruz was sending out another call taking a different tone and direction than the one the american people are expecting beginning in this atmosphere with the inauguration, the excitement of that. people expect the partisanship to get to the water's edge and stop and begin something fresh. >> by the way, this is not for us -- this is not for the republicans to be nice. >> no exactly. >> this isn't about being nice. this isn't about caving on every issue. >> absolutely. >> this is about winning. we have lost the popular vote in five of the last six elections. we're going to have colin powell here. for all the haters out there that despise colin powell because he's actually told the truth about our party, he's warned we're going to keep losing these national elections, would you rather want colin powell on your side or on the other side?

>> thank you. >> how do you have the best chance of winning? it's about winning. at the university of alabama, we don't field football teams to make ourselves -- i'm serious. we don't field football teams to make ourselves feel good about ourselves. yeah, look at them we kicked them in the teeth! no, you know why we field football teams? to win. we like winning. in fact, we go crazy if we lose. why can't the republican party be that way and start playing to win again? >> i think part of it joe, they need to look at what happened in that 2010 cycle. one of the big differences was we weren't just talking to ourselves. we were talking to the american people. we found a way to reconnect with them coming off the losses of '06 and '08. i think we need to stop that talking to ourselves. you know that conversation yesterday on "meet the press" was largely ted cruz not talking to the american people but talking to his base. the base is there. the base is going to be a part of this. the relate of it is it's a lot bigger than that particularly on the issue we're talking about

with guns when so many people see those 20 caskets and realize we have to do something different. >> mika and i'm not going to mention his name again. i think we've mentioned it enough on this inaugural day -- >> oh i was going to call up a sound bite. >> but to say that the president of the united states a man who broke down in tears as he was talking to the parents and looking at the pictures, broke down in tears. to say that he exploited that tragedy, talk to the parents in newtown and ask them if the president exploited that tragedy of their children who were slaughtered that day. >> talk to hunters. talk to gun owners in this country. ask them if talking about this and perhaps making some tweaks along the way to our laws to try and make a safer society really rubs them the wrong way because i don't think it does. >> it doesn't. >> i don't think it does. >> i think that again, when you see a republican pop up who

starts talking like that quite frankly, not telling the truth your party needs to move them away and find another one until you get a good one. get them out. >> let's stop talking about the republican party and what we have done to lose five of the last six elections and the popular vote which we have to own the house of representatives despite not receiving majority vote in the election for house of representative, and having a speaker with an 18% approval rating. let's not talk about that. >> okay. >> let's instead talk about the president of the united states and what he needs to do. you know the sunday review yesterday actually wrote something that, i'll be honest with you i've been waiting four years for people to admit publicly. that is that many of the administration's troubles flow from the top. obama is a lousy manager. this is the worst-kept secret in washington. every democratic senator has complained about how he never

calls them he never reaches out. forget the republicans. the democrats say this. we've all heard it. we've heard it for four years. we've heard people that have been inside the white house running the white house saying it's been a dysfunctional place. how does a president turn that around and actually become an effective manager, become an effective president? >> i don't know. i don't know how he turns it around because -- >> is he capable? >> i think he is. clearly, his nature is to be for lack of a better phrase a bit reclusive in his presidency. >> this "sunday review" article says he's the most isolated president since richard nixon. this is "the new york times." the most isolated president since richard nixon. >> he's emotionally isolated i would think, from a large body of senators and congressmen. there's no doubt about that. i just want to get back to one second to where we were a couple minutes ago. i don't want to make this guy ted cruz the poster boy for

polarization in this country, but i think he's representative of something that's truly, truly tough in terms of politics in this country right now. and it is that ted cruz and a lot of other people both democrats and republicans, they confuse narrow slices of their constituency for the country, but when they take the oath of office today, when the president took the oath of office yesterday, when the vice president took the oath of office yesterday, it's for the united states of america. it wasn't for a specific constituency. i would think on a day like today, the official inauguration of the president, you know, people should start thinking about the country at large. the country is just bumping along. the country is in sort of an emotional rut hoping wanting to be optimistic. it's almost as if the traffic in washington total gridlock at 4:30 in the morning, is a metaphor for the politics of this city. it's almost as if you have harry

reid and mitch mcconnell directing traffic. nobody wants to move. nobody wants to do anything. >> by the way, you brought up harry reid's name. here's a majority leader of the united states senate that has worked overtime to not produce a budget in over four years. >> correct. >> 1,163 days if my harry reid calculator is correct. the democratic senate is every bit as dysfunctional as the republican house, and it seems to me we have to figure out a way to fix this. the responsibility lies on both sides of the aisle. >> let me toss it back to you with the initial question you asked me that i cannot answer. i don't know if john can answer the question you asked. but if president barack obama, what sense does it make to invite senator ted cruz down to the white house? >> it makes all the sense in the world. maybe not ted cruz but bring tom coburn over.

you bring lamar alexander over. you bring bob corker over. one on one. you bring them all together. guess what? you get tom coburn from oklahoma going to ted cruz from texas, hey, you know what maybe we're not going to agree on assault weapons, but how about national registration? why don't you get on the bill with the democrat? and i'm not bringing up his name again. it's not about him. it's the fact he represents what has driven the republican party into the ground over the past several years. this is the problem with the white house. they have had this attitude, well, you know what because they work against us we're not going to invite -- no. you always start -- and every great politician i know always told me the first place you go you go to your enemies first. invite them in.

you call them in. thein. the morning after i won, my biggest opponent, i picked up the phone. ended up being one of my best friends. spent a lot of money lying about me. you have to get out of your comfort zone. that is something that this president has not done but i'm really optimistic he's going to do it this time because his legacy depends on it. >> 43 years ago today a young congressman from houston, a republican, went -- skipped the inaugural parade in honor of richard nixon to go to andrews air force base and say good-bye to a departing president from texas. george herbert walker bush is standing in the rope line.

he says -- johnson says to bush what are you doing here? bush he said, we just want to pay our respects. johnson was advising bush for the next couple of years about whether or not to run for office. johnson's the one who when bush was going to run for the senate he said what's the difference between the house and the senate? he said what's the difference between chicken and chicken salad? can you imagine now a republican congressman from houston going to see off a democratic president out of respect? >> especially mika the inauguration of a newly elected president in your party when everybody is most excited to elbow their way to the front. for george h.w. bush that's a great example. another great example, william f. buckley. he had liberal friends. in fact, he campaigned for liberals that were his friends even though he knew it upset

some on the conservative side. for william f. buckley, it wasn't a blood sport. >> to end this block, to counter it just a bit, and i'm sorry but it has the added value of being true, the president does need to reach out.agree. but he has, and it hasn't worked. so when he does it again, the republicans actually need to show up. >> you just quoted henry kissinger. there is hope. >> that's like me going jogging for ten minutes and saying afterwards, you know what i didn't lose 30 pounds. no i'm dead serious. they have stuck their toe in the water. that is it. when you still have democrats, democratic senators that run the senate andrea mitchell complaining that they've never been to camp david, the president doesn't call them they don't go over to the white house, then it's time for him to be more aggressive about this. >> two points quickly. let's just say to use your

godfather metaphor, this is the business we've chosen. he's in politics. he needs to schmooze. that said as the "front line" documentary showed you interviewed them last week the night of the inauguration four years ago, the republicans were downtown here having dinner and strategizing, how do we stop him at every turn? yes, he's aware of that. he wasn't aware at the time. how truly upsetting that is. he still has to keep reaching out. >> you just can't take it personally. >> exactly. >> again, i would say the same thing i'm saying about republicans. they've got to get past this divisiveness. do it for your own good. this president, he's got to reach out for his own good. of course in washington your enemies are going to try to kill you politically. they did it to george w. bush for eight years. we did it to bill clinton for eight years. bill clinton was smart enough crafty enough to find a way to

rise above and beat us at every turn. he did it by continuing to reach out. i always say when i was a lawyer, i had pictures after congress, all these pictures of bill clinton with much appreciation. it would drive my law partners crazy. appreciation for what? you impeached him. i said yeah, those were the days. you got to reach out. >> here's a question i don't think any of us can answer. only the president can answer. can he utilize the power, the threat of power of the presidency the way lyndon johnson did with regard to resolutions during the course of the vietnam war? one senator voting against him, not being with him. frank church had voted against the vietnam war. lyndon johnson says the next time you want to damnen your district call frank church. can barack obama utilize the inherent power of that office? >> if he has personal

relationships -- lyndon johnson had remarkable relationships. they knew when lyndon called lyndon meant business. the president needs to reach out a lot more. again, i know he's reached out, he's invited people over. we'd said a couple weeks ago he invited a lot of people over for spielberg to see "lincoln." >> state dinners. >> the majority leader's office called later and said yeah we got the invitation that afternoon, four hours beforehand. but you invite congressmen and senators over, one on one, they'll come. >> there is an upside to cooperation. not every battle is one of opposition. begin to reframe the image of the party with the rest of the country, number one. at the end of the day, that's what people want to see, you working with the administration. to joe's point, you don't have to agree with everything but you can at least stand there and show that we're trying to make the effort. so when you have the noise come out about, well we want to

block him at every turn that plays on the psyche of the american people. >> mike, what'ses in it for in it for the republicans? well, the republicans' backs are against the wall. they owned the house of representatives. they have a midterm election in 2014. for those republicans saying oh well, we always win midterm elections elections, no, you don't. two elections ago, we get routed by nancy pelosi. >> let's get to a break. we have a lot ahead. don't forget to share your photos of today's inauguration. you can find us on twitter. send us everything. we want to see it. still ahead this morning, live from the dubliner retired general colin powell valerie jarrett, nbc's tom brokaw "hardball's" chris matthews and presidential historian doris kerns goodwin.

up next, the political playbook -- oh my gosh, the line. the political playbook with jim. first, bill karins is here with a check on the forecast. bill. >> mika this crowd, once again, you won't believe how long this line is. so many wonderful people out here. you came all the way from the bahamas, and you did it four years ago too. >> i did it four years ago. >> very impressive. from virginia maryland. you two both work in the navy. you're from? >> california. >> and you're from? >> ohio. i worked on the campaign. >> both times or just the last year? >> just this last year. >> good job. i think it worked. >> a little bit. >> we'll have to work on getting you a better spot in line. let's talk about your forecast as we go throughout this day today for the inauguration. a beautiful weekend here in d.c. temperatures they're not bad. right now we're at 33. windchills in the 20s. it will be similar as we go throughout the noon hour for the swearing in ceremony. the forecast will call for

colder temperatures as the day goes on especially later on tonight. maybe a few snow showers or two. tomorrow morning i'll have a jacket, hat, and gloves on. it'll be much colder in d.c. this time tomorrow. there's not a lot on the radar. if we get any snow showers, it would be mostly late in the day. i think we're okay for the inauguration day forecast. here it is officially. not bad. especially if you get that sunshine early in the day. temperatures could get into the mid-40s. no complaints. reagan, it was in the single digits for one of his inaugurations. the other one for reagan it was 55. we're on the warmer side for this. very enjoyable forecast today. what a wonderful crowd outside. give yourselves a round of applause. you're probably never getting in, but we'll totally try as hard as we can. more "morning joe" live from the dubliner coming up.

the state of our economy calls for action bold and swift, and we will act, not only

to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth. we'll build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. we'll restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's use and lower its cost. >> here we are four years later. why not come back to the dubliner? all you did too. my, lord. the line goes around the block. a wonderful, joyful crowd. thank you all for coming. joining us now with the politico playbook, the politico executive director jim. >> i'm always a dose of sunshine in the morning. you guys were talking about ted

cruz and his comments on gun control. i think what people need to realize, ted cruz is a mainstream republican with this senate and this house. his views, he's not on the conserveative edge of the party. that is the party. when you think about the budget, think about gun control -- >> saying the president exploited the death of 6 and 7-year-olds within minutes? >> i think a lot of republicans wouldn't say it like that but they'd say something similar. >> he's on "meet the press" for his first time. this is his introduction. he makes a political attack that you would expect in a campaign for dogcatcher in the back country. >> he keeps repeating it. we did an event with him yesterday. he made the exact same comment. it's what he thinks. >> it's stunning to me. perhaps this is why we've lost five of the last six elections as far as the popular vote. he's not an outlier.

maybe this is why john boehner's approval rating is 18%. talking about the president's first 100 days what about the republicans' first 100 days? what does my party do to resurrect itself and stop a complete democratic monopoly in this town? >> there's only one thing they want to do cut spending. if that means shut down the government, shut down the government. >> i think in williamsburg we saw one possibility, which was paul ryan and others within the republican party saying to the caucus, we can't win this fight publicly. let the debt ceiling go because we're going to be blamed for the economic fallout. let's push that down the road kick the can down the road, as they say, and try to get some budget out of the senate and try to get some real spending cuts in the next three months. so paul ryan and others within the caucus are seeing a longer game here than is this freshman senator from texas. >> but if you ask paul ryan what he wants to do on gun control, he would say, i don't want to do

anything on gun control. you've talked to moderate republicans -- >> what about registration? >> the only thing they might do is something on registration. >> background checks. >> that's it. no idea that you're banning weapons. no chance. >> registration is the worst. >> put it on tape. 5 0% chance it passes. >> good because hunters need 30 bullets. >> if you've seen a single republican say they support that -- >> a democratic lobbyist last night working on this very issue, he said we don't have the votes. that's now, and that is before the president goes outside with the outside game and tries to generate support from the american people. right now the polling isn't there. >> what about immigration? is the president going to get anything out of that? >> immigration is the one issue out there that over the course of the year you could see a deal coming together. you have to watch marco rubio. if he comes out to an eventual

pathway to citizenship, and you're going to go through a whole bunch of obstacles, payments, but if he ultimately supports is, you can get a deal. >> it's in his initial plan. >> what about five years ago though? george w. bush the president of the united states supported immigration reform and he got absolutely rolled by republicans in the house and the senate. marco rubio doesn't have the power to make a republican from iowa support this. >> he might. >> no, he doesn't. >> he's one of the few republicans who's conservative enough he can get people to change their habits. if you don't, the numbers will kill them. you can't leave the fastest growing group in america in perpetuity. texas politics are in the different today. four years, eight years, they're radically different. if you look at the growth of hispanic in texas, you have the five largest cities. they're all moving to the

middle largely because you have growing minority populations. the country is changing. >> so you're saying texas is becoming more moderate. >> texas in eight years will be a lot more moderate. >> what about in four years? >> each year. look at the numbers. >> when a certain freshman senator runs for re-election, it will be a lot more moderate won't it? >> he probably won't. but the state is changing. >> so you really think most of this gun legislation has no chance? >> again, i don't mean to be the skunk at the party -- >> you are. >> i look at numbers. you go to war with the congress you have not the congress that people want. >> these congressmen and women can't tell me that these people in our country need to blow up animals with their assault weapons. >> they will tell you that they don't want you to do any new gun laws including magazine capacities, weapons restrictions. they don't think that's the issue. they would think people being mentally unstable would be an issue. they would think that people

just doing stupid things for stupid reasons is the issue. they don't think it's because of guns. you watch these interviews. you talk to these guys. they don't think you need to do anything on gun control. not only that you talk to them they say their constituent calls are nine to one against doing gun control. we have this -- we talk ho listicly about the country saying, oh something is changing. i agree with you guys. something has changed. the numbers have moved a little bit nationally towards more gun control, but not in these districts. texas is not wisconsin. it's definitely not washington, d.c. these are still radically different parts of the country with different views on guns. >> why can't elements of the republican leadership including ted cruz tell the truth about potential gun control legislation? the truth is nobody is coming to take your guns. why can't they say that? we're not coming to take your guns. >> i agree with that but i went hunting two weeks ago. it was 2:00 on a friday. went to go -- had to get more bullets, going deer hunting.

you couldn't get in to a gun store. you see this on tv but i'm telling you, it was breathtaking. women, young people old people stocking up like there's a group of people out there who thinks the government is coming for their weapons. gun sales are through the roof. this has been fantastic for the gun industry. you can't buy ammunition. you can't buy weapons. they know that if the government ever does restrict weapons, including the ones that have been on the table today, they're going to grandfather the ones already on the streets so people are buying, buying, buying. it's jacking up prices. it's great for the gun industry. >> the answer is the big lie has worked for years. the nra has said for years, if they take away your military-style assault weapons, take away the ar-15, they're going to take your hunting rifle, your handgun, which is a big lie. it's a big lie because constitutionally the government can't do that. the supreme court made sure of that. we had a shooting yesterday, an ar-15 in albuquerque. >> six people including

children. i guess we just don't want to talk about it. >> blown away. >> a guy shot his family with an assault rifle. but that's all right to these people, i guess. i'm sorry. i don't mean to -- you know what? we have to have a tough conversation. >> you guys look like you're blaming me. coming up next the baltimore ravens shock tom brady and the new england patriots. unbelievable. >> sorry, barnicle. also it's setting up a match -- it's going to be a great game mika. it's going to set up a match with the 49ers. we'll be right back.

i was overweight my whole life. i obsessed about my weight my whole life. i figured i was just born that way. i was always on some new, life-stopping diet. and then, weight watchers. it lets me be me. and i naturally became a healthier me. i amazed myself. get used to it. because when a weight loss program is built for human nature you can expect amazing. introducing the new weight watchers 360 program. join for free and expect amazing. because it works. welcome back to "morning joe." andrea mitchell a couple of great games yesterday. >> just think of those parents sitting in wisconsin and watching these games back to back. >> unbelievable. let's go to bill karins.

he's got sports. >> two big games yesterday. the nfc championship game and the afc championship game. let's start with the ravens against the patriots. a trip to the super bowl on the line. the pats, believe it or not, they never lost an afc championship game at home. let's pick it up now, the second quarter. this one is easy. brady to welker for the short touchdown pass. no problems whatsoever. 13-7 at the half. a little fact brady has never lost at foxboro when leading at the half. third quarter, still 13-7. joe flacco easy touchdown. ravens go up one. same score, fourth quarter. flacco play action. he finds anquan boldin for the touchdown. great catch. ravens go up 21-13. patriots with a minute left and change. pretty much already over. brady, desperation throws to the back of the end zone. picked off by perry williams. seals the win for the ravens. they amazingly shut out brady, the best offense in the national football league.

they win 28-13. baltimore headed to their first super bowl since they won it back in 2000. in the locker room ray lewis, who got a little postgame arm rub from the owner, spoke about the win. >> last year when we walked up out of here, i told him, i said, we'll be back. told hold your heads down because we have something to finish. every man out there sacrificed this year for each other. man, we did it. we did it. we did it. we on our way to the super bowl man. that's awesome. >> so ravens coach john harbaugh super bowl bound. earlier in the day, his little brother jimmy led the 49ers into the georgia dome to face the falcons. pick it up in the second quarter. matt ryan pumps and goes deep for julio jones. what a first half for julio jones. he does a little tap dance, gets both feet inbounds. jones, unstoppable. falcons go up 17-0. they've had a little issue holding on to leads, if you watched that seahawks game last week. skip ahead to the third quarter. falcons up by three, inside the 49ers' 39 yard line.

matt ryan bobbles the snap. they needed these points. could have put them up by six at most, touchdown would have put them up by ten. they squandered this opportunity. fourth quarter, 49ers down by three. frank gore into the end zone pretty much untouched. this is the end of the game. matt ryan had his moment to shine. if he would have led them to the touchdown, it would have led them to the super bowl. wasn't meant to be. the pass to roddy white wasn't even close. this is the first time in 18 years the 49ers have been to the super bowl. this year it'll be harbaugh verse harbaugh for the lombardi trophy. here's jimmy harbaugh after the game. >> any time you win a game like this, it's a team effort. everybody does a little it adds up to be a lot. you know it's not built by any one person. tremendous, tremendous win for us. showed the heart and resolve of the team. we'll move on with -- continue in our humility and be ready to

play another game in two weeks. >> should be a fascinating super bowl. we're on the other side of the bar from the show. this is -- your name? >> corek. >> mika and joe, if you'd like a drink, he's going to help me learn how to bartend. any requests? >> i'll take a shot of vodka. >> mika is doing a shot. let's hear it for mika! >> i'll have some sweet tea. bill, thank you so much. coming up next "the washington post"'s eugene robinson. you're watching "morning joe" live from the dubliner. we'll be right back.

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all right. we are outside the dubliner. mika the crowd out here just keeps growing. they're absolutely amazing. where are you from? >> hi i'm from washington, d.c. south carolina originally. >> i couldn't tell. all right. you excited to be here? >> yes, very excited. >> all right. you can't wait for another four years, right? >> i don't know about that. >> all right. another washington person. >> we just came out to see you. >> all right. well, we appreciate you coming out. this line goes on forever, forever. what are you from? >> hampton, virginia. >> all right. how excited are you? >> real excited. woo! >> how cold are you? >> nothing but my fingertips and my toes. >> it's a little frigid out here. all right. mika, the crowd is absolutely

wild out here. kind of cold. i can't believe they're still waiting this long. thank you, guys so much for coming out. now, mika who's joined us at the dubliner for the must read opinion? >> we have the associate editor of "the washington post"." mike barnicle has a jacket on that feels like a puppy, it's so soft. it's very nice. ann must have made you worn that. you actually look quite nice today. >> thank you. >> all right. i'm going to read from your piece. i'll do that first. i've chosen one from "the wall street journal" as well. margaret iwrites on bloomberg.com. second inaugurations are never as hopeful as first ones but that's only part of it. the world is gloomier from the

trivial, lance armstrong's confession manti te'o's made-up tragedy, the 11-inch foot long subway sandwich to the frightening. we have a congress that drives perilously close to the edge of the cliff. then there's the profoundly sad massacre in newtown, connecticut, last month. the president put all his political capital on the line but most people's money is on the national rifle association. newtown changed the president, but i'm not sure it changed enough members of congress to make a difference. listen to senate majority leader harry reid trying to give democrats cover to vote against the president to save their jobs. good lord. i mean if newtown isn't enough to give us the emotional pull to make some changes in this country, then what is? >> you know, i hate to be debbie downer about t butit, but in talking to members the last couple days

democrats don't want to take a vote if it's not going to work. you know the nra may have 4 million members and obama may have 1 million in his political organization, but they're all going to have to be mobilized. they're all going to have to be on board to even get the background checks much less the magazines, which i think is the thing that will make the difference. >> gene, it's like the republicans on spending. i have to say the democrats here, too, if you really want it, you actually have to make it happen when you have an opportunity. >> yeah, you have to make it happen when you have the opportunity. he says he's all in on this. i take him at his word. this is his second term. he doesn't have to run again for anything. i think he was profoundly touched and moved, as we all were by newtown. it was the fourth such speech he's had to give in his presidency in four years. he said it was the worst day of

his presidency. you know so i think he's serious about it. i think he's going to hold his feet to the fire. i think we'll have votes. i don't know what will happen with those votes, but i think he's going to bring everybody along. >> michael steele when joe came on the air the monday after newtown, he made a change in his belief about what needs to be done in terms of gun control, and he shared it with everybody. he has heard from so many republicans and from their wives or spouses and from the community, his community, if i may, that i don't understand why they can say it privately but can't say it publicly. >> i think that's a very good point. it goes to what margaret was just saying. you have these mass constituencies out there. 4 million in the nra. the president has his team. i think the one thing that's going to be the driver and i fundamentally believe this, is that the profoundness of that moment is that link s that common ground that everyone stands on, and there are elements of what the president's

proposed that the nra has supported in the past. that's where this thing begins to move in a different direction, i believe because when people look back at it, you know you have to do something. so let's do the thing that we can right now all agree on which is the broader piece. >> the nra quickly got to the point the other day of saying well, we've always supported background checks. in fact the nra has fought against background checks. that was an indication i think -- >> they're willing to go there. >> willing to go there. >> that's right. all right. still ahead, retired four-star general colin powell will be here. also valerie jarrett. we're live from the dubliner in washington. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro. executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless

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okay. we are in the middle of a clearly deranged crowd here. i'm very disturbed. chanting for mika. we have doris coming back. very excited. you excited about the inauguration? >> very. it's the greatest day. very profound. >> it is an exciting day. it really is. for democrats and republicans alike. >> it's a no labels day.

we're all supporting the president today and looking forward to a great event and a great inauguration. four more years. >> what do you want to hear from the president today? >> i think i want to hear words that will make action happen. that's the key. the words don't matter by themselves. the country got confident when jfk said ask not what you can do for your country. words create action. >> and we need action in washington. no doubt about it. when we come back much more, includeing colin powell maureen dowd, and chris matthews and a cast of thousands from the dubliner. mika, they want you out here. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] some day, your life will flash before your eyes. make it worth watching.

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it is my intention to curb the size and influence of the federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the federal government and those reserved to the states or to the people. [ applause ] >> all of us need to be reminded that the federal government did not create the states. the states created the federal government.

that was ronald reagan on january 20th 1981. i remember watching that with my father. my dad just kept saying so much that my mom finally said george, shut up i heard it the first time. my dad kept saying if he lives long enough, he'll change the country and the world. he was right. that's what's so exciting about these days mika. so special. i remember lying in a fetal position on the floor after bill clinton won in 1992. >> that was a special day. >> thinking my world had come to an end. i just -- i loathed the guy. but i remember watching him deliver the inaugural address. just for a split second i said maybe, maybe -- and i think that's the magic of every inauguration. >> in all your years, you've learned to love him. >> i wouldn't go that far. >> oh yes, you would. >> we like each other. >> you should see them together at the clinton global initiative.

makes me want to puke. welcome back to a special edition of "morning joe." >> i'm trying to be upbeat here. hope springs eternal on this day. >> it sure does. look at you and bill clinton. we're live from the dubliner in washington for president barack obama's second-term inauguration. we have an amazing crowd. my god, the line outside. it's freezing. i can't believe it. still with us here inside the bar, eugene robinson. joining us now, presidential historian doris kearns goodwin, former adviser to president george w. bush and co-founder of the no labels organization. and the moderator of "meet the press," david gregory. >> what is it about this day? are we suckers for believing that maybe good things lie ahead and vice versa? a republican hoping on this day when a democrat is being sworn in. just maybe -- >> we're not suckers. we're never suckers. you got to believe that there's a time when a new administration

starts or a second administration starts they think through what happened in the first one. they want to reach out in a different way than they did before. we want to look differently at them. it's our secular religion. that's what this day is. think of what an extraordinary moment it is. a person is a private citizen. they take that oath. they become the most powerful person in the world. they're finished. they go out. they go back out. and they're a private person again. almost no other country in the world is that possible. it's an extraordinary moment. >> i've been disappointed. a lot of people have been disappointed. if you read "the new york times" this weekend, how the president managed the office on a personal basis with members on the hill on both sides. are you hopeful that this president has learned from some of the mistakes of the first term and he's going to reach out more aggressively? even to his own party on the hill. >> well, i think he's a reflective person. he does think he's talked more than most leaders about what he did wrong the first term. that's not usual that these

characters admit it and he has. i'm not sure how far he'll get reaching out to republicans. he's tried more than we know. they just didn't come sometimes. the democrats are the ones. if he's going to keep that party together for entitlement reform for spending he should have them over every night, every day. lbj called them up at 2:00 a.m. he said, i hope i didn't wake you, mr. senator. he said, no, i was just looking at the ceiling hoping my president would call. that's the kind of energy you have to put in. >> martin what about the republicans? let's talk about our party right now. you look at the numbers, not good. the president, the 52% approval rating. john boehner has an 18% approval rating. we are a party that seems to be shrinking. how do we reverse that trend? >> well you spend enough time in the desert you find water. you lose enough you begin to sort of get some sanity. i think there's been some moves over the last couple of weeks

that show that we're making some progress on this last budget deal looking forward. i think there's some progress. i think republicans are starting to show movement. we're making progress on the immigration front. i think there's something to be optimistic about. >> all right. let's try and be optimistic david gregory, while also being realistic. looking ahead to the next four years which really is the next two years, if you considered midterms, where it all potentially ends and the president's ability to get something done in the next two years. look at guns and some of the other big initiatives he might want to move forward. then you look at the republicans. tell me what's going to be different, especially after watching "meet the press" yesterday and seeing ted cruz as sort of the lead republican on the show. >> well look what's already different is the republicans have agreed to raise taxes. they refused to do that for a generation. i think there will be a change on immigration. i think there's potential for

bipartisan work on energy. the republican party's got to find its way back to some kind of restoration if it wants to get the white house back if it wants to control the senate again and move beyond the house. the movement they've had on the debt ceiling, democrats would call it gimmicky on some level. but we want to choose our fight difficultly. they want to push the president to deal with the spending problem this government has. you know what? all the polling reflects the fact that they're right. americans want a better economy. they want compromise. they want to cut government spending. so republicans are on the right track there. the question is how do they find a way to pressure the president in a way that's different tanhan what they've done. >> eugene? >> i think the question is whether the republican establishment, such as it is can bring along the rest of the republican party, the tea party wing of the party, to this -- it's not an accommodationist stance because they don't believe a lot of the same things

the president does but it's a recognition that number one, president obama and the democrats won the election. number two, that just rejecting everything wasn't working too well for them. it's not getting them anywhere. >> again, i want to go over it. you look at the numbers. you have a speaker with an 18% approval rating. that's far lower than newt gingrich's ever was when we ran him out of town. the tea party has a 9% approval rating right now. right after the election someone wrote about how the republicans didn't even win the majority. tim, we've got -- we have got to change course because basically digging in and shrinking is not working. >> digging in and shrinking, unless -- i think there will be movement on immigration. the sort of permanent negative attitude and the party's

attitude on immigration, combine those two things and you wonder if the republicans aren't writing themselves out of future national elections. >> i think there's two ways for the republicans to change course. one is internally, if they realize they have to. the other is that president obama is saying that he's going to keep that base of his, that coalition, alive and organize them to act. if they pressure from the outside in that's when most change takes place. it doesn't take place in washington. it takes place when the people get mobilized. if they pressure on immigration and gun control, then the republicans are going to have to listen to the people out there, not just their counterparts inside washington. >> you know what? it's not just that the republicans have been wrong on a lot of issues. it's the fact that they've just played dumb. just played dumb. i really liked -- again, i always talk about what nicole wallace said. let's stop debating whether we're going to be the conservative or moderate party. i just want to stop being the stupid party.

they adopted, actually, when they went on their reetreat a no labels approach to governoring. you -- approach to governing. you brought the cap. i think this was really an absolutely brilliant move by the republican, the house of republicans to say, hey, listen we're going to go ahead and extend the debt limit three months. you guys just put a budget together for the first time in four years. we'll do the same over here. >> yeah and look what's happening. looks like maybe there's going to be a budget now. budget is policy right? we have to put this into law and make sure this happens going forward. we'll see if they uphold the deal. can you imagine four years without a budget? no wonder the government has had no progress. there's no budget. >> the president -- and it starts today -- has to be able to lead the american people in a way to say, look we have to transcend politics. realize medicare is a huge problem. he's got to be able to convince his own party but also do

something that frankly americans don't want done, which is to have to give back some things. that's the only way we get to some of those goals. those are the big leadership moments that the president still has to seize. he's got more confidence. he's got a united party. he's got this second-term opportunity. it's not a full four years, but there's an opportunity to go big on some of this. >> i think the president would say, though that before asking everybody to give up a whole bunch on medicare that he had to first establish a principle that the wealthier are going to pay a bit more have been paying less than historically they paid in taxes in terms of tax rates. so fairness would be a part of -- >> that's established. now we're ready for the medicare reform, right? >> well, i guess we're ready to start talking about them joe. >> mark i love what you've written. obama's moment to call us to a greater collective commitment. i think this really resonates with something we've been yearning for on the show. you say this.

to borrow a signature phrase let me be clear, this day is not about him, it's about us our nation, our future. where do we go from here? what is the right path forward? how do we come together? here's what i do want to hear. the word "we." a call to a greater collective commitment, a recognition of the sacrifices to come a signal of willingness nessness to do the unpopular to take on his political base a surprise or two, humility faith, gratitude, and keep it short. how great a legacy to leave to call together an anxious nation to calm the divide and ask brothers to lay down their arms to inspire them to a greater cause, to fight not against each other but alongside each other for something far greater than ourselves. this day, this country, this future it is ours. will he answer the call and will we? >> i do think to the earlier

question, there's an american exceptionalism we could see today, which is this notion we can overcome our challenges as a collective group of citizens, that we can be bigger as a collective group and meet these challenges. it is about calling a collective message to the country. >> we not i. >> we not i. we have to do that together. >> the mystery of leadership in a certain sense -- maybe this is what you're going to say, but the mystery of leadership is to call upon the people to do things together in common sacrifice. we've done it all through history. the pioneers went over the rocky mountains. we got through world war ii. we did the civil rights movement. they did it, not we. i mean we that's the whole point. the civil rights movement the gay rights movement the womens movement came from below and leaders responded. it's never coming from the top down. usually change comes from the bottom up. that's where the we is. >> lincoln's second inaugural address was something like 701 words or something. i believe he used the word "i" once in the speech.

so could a president these days give a 700-word inaugural address? please? >> we would love it. that means you have to have that poetic compression. linkeningen linkcoln was a writer that knew how to make these things little. we would have to talk more. oh my god. >> doris, let me ask you a question. i want to follow up on this but i want to make sure it's a fair thing to ask. that's the great they think about "morning joe." >> uh-oh. here he goes. >> the great thing about "morning joe" is -- >> what are you doing? >> we fly without -- >> are you thinking? >> we ignore time cues. >> think before you speak. >> okay. doris, is it fair to talk about what the president said yesterday when the cameras were in after he was sworn in? even if he was talking to his family members? >> i don't see what the point is. i mean i think they're big guys.

they know those cameras are on. if they do it that's their responsibility. i didn't hear it but why not? >> i did it. >> oh i heard that. yes. >> you know what? it was jarring to me. it was jarring to me because it's not about i. it's about we. >> i know that but i was thinking what if that were somebody i knew. i would have gone hooray or something stupid like that. it's a moment of spontaneity. i think he's just saying, you know, they worried. would we do it? this is a revalidation. it's an authentication. maybe he should have said we did it or we the country did it or joe did it. >> no. >> if he had said joe did it it would have done a lot to repair the breach. >> was he talking about, i did it, i didn't mess up? >> maybe that's what he was referring to. maybe he was just talking about that. i hope so. >> last time it was screwed up.

i did it. >> maybe he was just talking about that. >> i think he was responding to his daughter. >> it did jar me at first too. i was like not again. then i thought it through. i realized he was talking to his daughter. >> maybe it is. again, that's why i ask. he was talking to his daughter. again, the cameras were on. let's just say in washington, d.c. more often than not people are talking about i, i, i. it's always about we. you are carrying a trust, whether you're a congressman, a senator, or president of the united states. >> very cute moment. >> some day maybe we'll get back. this is not a criticism of you. i actually noticed what he said too then thought it through and realize the he was talking to his daughter. i did it without flubbing it is what he was saying. but at some point we'll get back to the point where everybody gets the benefit of the doubt. and it's not jarring when you hear that from any politician.

>> you're sounding very hopeful today. he had just written a column about making it about we instead of i. certainly i'm not talking about this president alone. david, you see it every sunday. politicians have become much more self-absorbed. we've gotten past the world war ii generation where people realized you beat nazi germany when the entire country comes together. it's more individualized now. you don't need the big parties. you go online. you raise your money there. you have your own organization. >> what i was saying was you noticed it i noticed it mark noticed it. we've had to think it through to figure out what it meant. so is every utterance and every minute of every day -- >> except for the fact he wasn't jogging with the secret service detail. he had a very tight window where he was inaugurated. that was his official inauguration. that's the only reason why i asked doris at the beginning.

is every word said -- >> i can agree with you but also give him his moment with his family of personal indulgence and maybe personal rejoicing without feeling that he was violating what i think is a very real point, which is this sense of, you know, sense of we sense of -- i'll never forget our friend ron saying to president bush on day one, first cabinet meeting. he said welcome to the white house. the president knew exactly what it meant. he said thank you because it's not his house, it's the people's house. the presidency belongs to the people in that sense as well. there i agree with you. i can both agree and allow him his personal time. >> i think i agree he was probably talking about not messing up the oath itself. >> i think it was a joke. >> look how perfect david gregory is. the cuff links to the handkerchief. let me see those cuff links. >> my wife bought these for me. they're little globes and spin around. as the world turns. i even wore socks. >> oh my goodness.

pretty good. i guess that's a california thing. we don't do that in florida. >> we have lots more ahead live from the dubliner. bill karins is standing by the bar. bill. >> i went outside. i was going to do a little weather, and all the sudden i'm surrounded by ravens fans. look at this. she made a sign. >> ravens in the super bowl. >> are you joe's long lost relative? >> i'm canadian. >> oh there's a scandal. >> thank you for making your sign. bill and jill. her name is jill. let's take a look at your forecast. sun is coming up out here today for the inauguration. along with the wonderful crowd here, about 800,000 people expected at the capitol for the inauguration. it's going to be a little chilly. it is the middle of winter. i don't even have a jacket and gloves on. we can't complain. that's come tomorrow.

the actual temperatures will be somewhere into the 40s for the inauguration. we could have snow showers later on tonight. that's about it. the rest of the country, we are cold. it's very cold. this is the coldest arctic outbreak for the season for the northern plains great lakes, and back through areas of the ohio valley. as far as the snow goes not a lot of it unless you're near the lakes. d.c. will be just fine. later on tonight, heads up to my friends on cape cold rhode island you're getting a little mini snowstorm. possibility of 3 to 6 inches tonight into tomorrow morning. the forecast for the inauguration looking pretty pretty nice. i got a lot of "morning joe" buttons here. you guys want some "morning joe" buttons? >> thank you! >> you know what we have coming up next on "morning joe"? a little man named david axelrod and a little -- where's the governor? >> joe! >> look at this ravens jersey. congratulations on that. >> go ravens! >> coming up next on "morning joe." congratulations, mr. president. >> thank you, mr. chief justice.

thank you so much. >> congratulations. >> thank you, sweetie. hey. >> good job, daddy. >> i did it. all right. with the spark cash card from capital one olaf gets great rewards for his small business! pizza! [ garth

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last year when we walked up out of here i told him, i said we'll be back. don't hold your heads down because we got something to finish. every man out there sacrificed this year for each other. man, we did it. we did it. we did it. we on our way to the super bowl man. that's awesome. >> all right. nice moment there. take a look at this beautiful shot of washington, d.c. as the sun comes up over washington on inauguration day. here with us now, former senior adviser to president obama and director of the institute of politics at the university of

chicago, david axelrod. he's here at the bar with us, the dubliner. and the democratic governor of maryland governor martin o'malley. he cannot help himself. >> he deserves to grow. >> wow. okay. very nice. >> who saw it coming governor? >> we all saw it coming. >> oh whatever. whatever. >> land of the free, home of the brave. it's a great team. >> you got grown men crying. i don't get it. look at these pictures. so we'll let him gloat over football. we'll let you gloat over president obama's second inauguration inauguration. can you believe -- can you believe from 2007 to now -- >> well, from to 2007 -- >> sworn in for the second time. >> may have seened edseemed a little remote in 2007. the one thing that strikes me is i have strong recollections of

four years ago when we came to town mired in this extraordinary, devastating economic crisis two wars and so it's just the four years has been quite a journey. >> do we have the contrast? i saw the overnight note where we were and where we are now. there's some numbers that look the same. unemployment. there's some numbers that are a bit down real household wages. but there are also a lot of numbers that show there have been great economic improvements over the past four years. a mixed bag, but we are much better off, especially if you look at the growth of the economy, than where we were -- so let's go through these quickly. >> there they are. >> 7.8% in 2009. 7.8% four years later. of course a lot of fluctuation in between there. the dow jones has exploded since the president came in. as everybody on wall street knows, he's a wall street president. this is obviously a number that

concerns me greatly. we've picked up $6 trillion in debt over the past four years. as we keep cycling through the numbers -- we have some more numbers here right? well, we have a lot more numbers that actually show that while wages are stagnant the economy went from being minus 5% gdp in the first quarter -- >> minus 9 in the quarter before. >> now it's plus 3.5. a lot of other numbers. consumer confidence has absolutely exploded. >> look there's no doubt we're in a different place, and we're in a different place -- and governor o'malley was a great advocate for us throughout the campaign and made this case. i was there in the first few months of that administration at the white house. the president had to make a series of decisions that none of which were popular. the recovery act, standing up the financial industry intervening to save the auto

industry. all of them unpopular at the time. all of them contributed to breaking the skid that we were in and beginning to turn our economy around. now we have a foundation on which to build, but we have a lot of work to do because ult maltly ly -- ultimately the goal is to build an economy where people feel like they can get ahead, where people feel like their kids have a better future. that's why having a second term means something. it's not just a celebration of an election victory. >> and that more work to be done shows itself in the medium income numbers, the level is still down. so our kids are not going to do as well as their parents. people living below the poverty level up. this is not, not good at all and needs to be -- >> absolutely. look this is the economic challenge of our time. we've gone through huge changes in our economy over a period of decades that have conspired against the middle class, that have conspired against economic mobility. there are things we can do to deal with that in terms of education, research and

development, innovation energy. there are things we can do about it but we have to do them together as a country. that's our goal. >> i do think it's important to put in context and remember just how dark the days were four years ago and how in the middle of that meltdown, people were thinking about going to caves and getting spam and guns. it was dark. not only the president, but the president working with george w. bush and others really pitched in and had to make very tough decisions and a lot of hard votes that got a lot of people unelected from office to get us through that. >> when we got our first economic briefings, i wanted to get some spam and go into a cave. i know what you're talking about. >> that's why this is such an opportunity, though, for the president right now. the problems we're talking about are structural. they've been there for a long time. this declining middle class has gone on for two decades. it isn't just the recession. that means investing. this is where the problem of the debt comes in. if you're going to get better education, you have to get more manufacturing base here. you're going to get companies to stay here and do more. you're going to need incentives.

all of that means eninvesting. are we going to invest in the future? how are we going too deal with deal with the debt on the other side? >> the problem is neither party wants to go where the money is. neither party wants to look at how you reform medicare in an aggressive way that saves medicare. medicare and medicaid together combined ten years from now consume every last dollar. we can invest in education. we can invest in infrastructure. we can invest in this country like eisenhower did, right? like jfk did. we can do two things at once. it's not the discretionary domestic spending driving us into the ground. that's how we stay ahead of china. that's how we stay ahead of india. we have a retirement problem. we have a demographics problem. governor, that's hard to handle in the national level. it's hard to handle on the state level. how do we do it? >> we've nearly closed our structural deficit in maryland. it's because of job creation. we've recovered now, thanks to president obama's tough but

right decisions, we've recovered 80% of what we lost in the bush recession. you talk about the hyperinflation and medicare medicaid, that's what the affordable care act was about. that's why the president did that. >> but first of all, we're not going to be able to grow out of our problems that we're facing with medicare and medicaid. we're just not. the numbers show that -- >> you agree with that right? >> wait a minute. that cbo also says though that even the affordable care act is not going to stop the ticking demographic time bomb. >> but the common platform that we now have with the affordable care act, if the states step up allows us to bend down that cost curve so we can invest in education, can invest in making college more affordable, can invest -- >> i have to ask you this question because people have said you're talking about possibly thinking about running four years from now. you do understand that people are going to -- >> the answer must be yes. >> that wealthier people are going to --

>> this sounds like a barbed question. >> this is an obvious question. politicians need to tell americans the truth about medicare and medicaid. you do understand that not only are people going to have to pay more for their medicare, wealthier americans, but all beneficiaries are going to be getting less in 10 15 years from now and medical providers are going to be getting paid less. >> the question is, can we -- >> do you understand that? >> i understand -- >> no no, no. that's basic math. >> joe, i don't accept your premise that we are doomed to always be parting with 10% increases, 15% increases in health care. we've got to focus on wellness. we have to focus on -- >> no no. oh, my god. governor, governor. excuse me governor. this is a matter of basic math. by the way -- >> it's also a matter of effectiveness. >> you can look at omb, the congressional budget office, the peterson foundation. you can look at the concord coalition. you can look at liberal

economists. you can look at conserveative economists. this a matter of basic arithmetic. >> you can also look at examples where we move to global payments, where we actually change the structure, reward health care to provide wellness rather than to churn volume and specialization. >> i support that. >> and those are the examples that we can now embrace. >> and that'll get us about 10% of the way there. >> i think you're selling the effectiveness of what we can do short. this is about making health care more effective in promoting wellness and focusing in on that 5% of the people that drive -- >> you know i like you a lot, governor. i have to say right now i'm thoroughly depressed. you have thoroughly depressed me. >> how can you be depressed when you're in the dubliner? >> i need some beer over here. >> and bring a pair of socks, by the way. >> he doesn't wear socks. >> marktin, nobody wants to talk about what we have to do with medicare. nobody wants to talk about what we have to do with medicare social security, defense spending, what we have to do with tax reform.

these are the tough choices. >> for example republicans have to make tough choices on defense cuts. >> we've got to cut defense. >> our combined defense budget is more than all the other countries in the world. republicans have to step up. i agree with you, governor. we have to do so much more than what you say in order to bend that curve. we have to do that but we've got to talk about -- >> we do. >> we've got to talk about raising the eligibility ages. >> we should look at medicare and social security in terms of how we strengthen them and preserve them for future generations, not as a piggy bank to offset the irresponsible decision making of policymakers. >> we just want it to be sustainable, david. >> that's what i'm saying. >> i have to say, though david, it's ironic you say that when you guys removed how many billions $700 billion, from medicare, which by the way, would have been good to make medicare more solvent in the coming years. >> actually, it did make medicare more solvent, joe. we added almost ten years to the life of medicare.

>> you immediately overt to a new entitlement program. >> we added ten years to the life of medicare through the changes that we've made. the president's indicated that he's willing to move on medicare, on social security but in order to strengthen those programs for the future. we ought to look at it from that perspective and in the use the fiscal crisis that was created largely by the irresponsibility of decision makers as a pretense to dismantle social security. >> david, i don't think the concord coalition, i don't think the omb, i don't think the congressional budget office, i don't think they're talking about that. i think they're talking about basic arithmetic. we have to work together and figure out a way to save these programs for another generation or these programs alone will bankrupt us. >> i see the people on the point of the spear in this debate in the political arena. these are not people who have been traditionally supportive of

medicare. they're not people who have been traditionally supportive of social security. you know, it should not be the first thing we discuss. we have to have a balanced program going forward. you know you said yesterday -- we were on a different show. you said that the president hasn't been willing to be adventurous on these issues. he has thrown out specific ideas. he has committed himself to cutting health care spending in the future by a specific amount and said he would be willing to discuss more. he's gotten quite a bit of heat from his own party on it. >> well erskine bowles said talked about medicare and medicaid when we were with him last time. he said those two programs alone bankrupt this country. those two programs alone. we've got to figure out a way to not only help these programs remain sustainable for the next generation but to stop this country from a national debt crisis. >> it's not hard to say. >> well look -- >> it's hard to do.

>> i'll say go ravens if you admit we're going to have to make some tough choices. >> don't make that deal. >> the tough choices are the things that the president east been -- president's been doing and he's going to continue to do. we need to make health care more effective and less costly. that's what we need to do. >> of course. i agree. you know what else i think we need to do? we need to have more days of sunshine. >> no, no no. >> come on. >> we have the least efficient health care system in the world by far. any medical professional will tell you that. >> i say that on this show all the time. we spend more money per person than any country on the planet. >> for results that are not as good in many cases. >> so what does that tell you? >> there's a lot of money to be saved. we ought to go after that before we start talking about -- >> david, david. it's not an either or proposition. we have to do it all to save medicare and medicaid. >> when you mention the

affordable care act, the governor is right. one of the predicates of the affordable care act was to reduce the cost of health care to make the health care system more efficient. that is fundamental to anything we need to do. >> it's critical. listen, it's critical. we've got to do what the cleveland clinic does where you reward outcomes instead of just testing. we can agree on that but i can tell you, that doesn't get us to where we need to go. we're going to have to make a lot of tough choices. we have to start telling americans the truth now. >> we've got some peas to eat. all right. coming up -- great talk gentlemen. senator tim cain -- >> go ravens. >> thank you, joe. >> msnbc's alex wagner. more "morning joe" in a minute.

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you said you're a conservative democrat. i take you at your word. where are you going to stand on some of these gun issues like the universal background check? it's going to shut down some gun shows in your state. >> here's where i stand on it. sadly, i was a mayor and city councilman when richmond had the second highest homicide rate in the united states. we brought it down by putting common sense rules in place. i was governor during the shooting at virginia tech that horrible tragedy. we did some things in the aftermath to make campuses safer. some of the fixes aren't about guns mental health. some of the fixes are. i strongly support expanded background checks. i support restrictions on high capacity magazines. i'll support a ban on combat weapons, assault weapons if it's drawn the right way. completely consistent with the second amendment. i own a shotgun. the nra is headquartered in virginia. the gun owners i know believe that gun restrictions make

perfect sense and we ought to be doing them. >> where are they in large numbers? you get the feeling that there will not be the votes there for any serious legislation to actually get passed. >> i mean i actually think we got a really good chance on the background record check. if you're going to put it in order, background record check, 92% of american people want it. nra members want it in overwhelming numbers. >> what about the high capacity -- why, why, why? why do gun owners need that? >> i think the restriction makes perfect sense. in terms of why other people think what they do i'm not a psychologist. >> it affects profits. that's why. >> what? >> it affects profits of the gun industry. >> it's money. >> the gun industry makes millions and millions off of it. >> but there are people buying them. why do they need them? >> because there are people who feel like they need to defend themselves against, quote, government tyranny. why they believe that i think that's something that the nra pushes. i think it's this notion that somehow, some day the government is going to come after you and you want the have the same weapons they do. >> by the way, that's the losing argument at the end of the day.

you push long enough -- why do you need these combat-style assault weapons? they basically can come back and weapons? they will without saying it so they can kill american soldier when is they come to their home. >> brian was asked why do you need the ar 15? they said they use them in gun shows and they fire them off. that's not a water tight argument. >> there is no justification. what are you looking for in the inauguration? >> soring rhetoric optimism. i think the president -- i kept thinking back to 2008 and this big momentum that he would have this speech. we face challenges and it was the storm clouds are gathering. i feel like the storm clouds have not dissipated entirely

but america is ready for an optimistic message. there is so negativity around washington and it would be nice to say we will move forward around the challenges we have. pragmatic optimism. >> maybe we can ask the senator the same as we asked martin o'malley o'malley. >> i will give martin the benefit of the doubt. he is giddy over the ravens's big win. let me ask you. you watched that segment. >> we want a gut reaction. >> medicare and medicaid. when you talk about peterson or concord coalition or simpson or bowles, they will bankrupt us over the next decade. >> look. congress has done this repeatedly. since social security and medicare and medicaid was

passed, the notion that we will tweak it and improve it is more standard. there is a part of the crowd that said we can never touch it you pull 700$700 million from medicare, but the numbers change. the number of people putting money into the system and the ratio of that to the change we have to make changes. >> this is one of the things that disturbed me about governor o'malley. you are saying we can just tweak it here and there. we used to have one people working for every one person who pays into social security and medicare. now it's two to one. the numbers don't add up. we will have to make sacrifices. what are your goals for the next four years and what do you think can be accomplished? >> one nice thing about virginia is i was governor with two

republican houses. my father in law was a republican governor. i don't have any torn relationships. i don't have any republican senators that i have bad blood with. in the class starting to get to know ted a little bit and our neighbor in tennessee has done wonderful things. i think there partnerships. i want to get this budget stuff right. to the extent that i'm on the conservative side i'm conservative on budget stuff. governors do that. i'm the only governor that shrunk the budget and not reduced the rate of growth but the size of the budget was smaller than when i started. no virtue in that. i learned how to do it. i will try to take those on the budget committee. you can do it without tanking the economy. you have to be careful. >> can you hold hands with

elizabeth warren? >> she is a great reader of biographies in history. >> book club. >> thank you. you on this afternoon? >> theoretically: >> still ahead, look who is coming. this is exciting. >> former secretary of state colin powell. you are watching "morning joe" live on inauguration day in washington, d.c. we'll be right back. look, if you have copd like me you know it can be hard to breathe, and how that feels. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms by keeping my airways open for 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily

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>> i come before you and assume the presidency at a moment rich with promise. we live in a peaceful, prosperous time but we can make it better. for a new breeze is blowing and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn. in man's heart if not in fact the day of the dictator is over. >> all right, it is the top of the hour and a beautiful shot of the white house on inauguration

day. the sun is up over washington. then there is the bar where we are at. the dubliner. a massive crowd outside. people are still waiting to get in and we are cycling them in. welcome back and thank you all for coming. especially all of you in the cold. everyone is in washington, d.c. for president barack obama's second term inauguration. we have an amazing crowd and the former secretary of state retired colin powell and tom brocaw and joins us from the white house we have senior adviser to president obama, valerie jarrett. great to have you. john meachem as well with us. >> valerie, what are your thoughts this morning as the president is getting ready for his second inaugural speech. >> i'm so excite and i woke up at the crack of dawn and can't

believe it's time to begin the second term. everyone is excited and energized and as you know from our discussions the president has a robust agenda. we will celebrate today and tomorrow back to work. >> a lot of people have been talking about the second term curses for presidents. it was tough for george w. bush tough for ronald reagan and bill clinton's was not a walk in the park either. how do you avoid the second term curse? >> stay focused and develop an agenda that reflects the priorities of the american people. engage the american people in the process. one of the lessons is the president can't do this alone. expect that they are going to put the short-term interests ahead of the american people and if we have them behind us there

no limits to what we can do. we will see the president traveling more and have more opportunities here at the white house to bring people in and inform them and communicate and engage with them about our agenda. if we have that, we are confident he can have a robust second term agenda. it can get done. >> you have known the obamas and working by the president's side in the white house, but you also are friends with the family. how is michelle obama and the girls? how are they holding up given how tough it is to live in the bubble there? >> i think they are all thriving and i think the president is as energized as i have ever seen him. he learned a lot in the first term and his confidence has grown. how little you know until you are here. with the four-year track record he has the wind at his back. the first lady is in great

spirits. i hope everyone has seen the snazzy bags she is wearing and feeling good. she feels good because her children are thriving. the family is doing well and everyone is humbled and honored to know the president will be here representing our country and leading our country for another four years. >> valerie, thank you so much for taking the time to be on the show this morning. enjoy the day. >> thank you, thank you. thanks for everything. it's been a good four years with you all as well. >> thank you. thank you for still talking to me four years later. >> come on. you know i love you, joe. >> you just made it harder for me to get involved with republicans. thank you, valerie. >> bringing you closer and closer. inch by inch. >> keep trying. general powell it's great to have you here always. i was so excited last week when

i saw you talk about our republican party. exciting that you still consider yourself a republican and you are willing to fight for the party we lost. let's talk first about barack obama. what did you see in him the second time. i was not surprised by the first, but i was surprised by the second. you have been critical saying he needed to narrow his focus. what did you see in him the second time. >> nothing wrong with being critical and also supporting. what i saw in the second opportunity to be president of the united states is we had seen progress in the four years he had been president. the financial system was stabilized and the economy is picking up again. we are out of iraq and coming out of afghanistan. he handled terrorism quite well. i saw a guy getting the job done

and deserving of a second term. the first term doesn't have the historic significance but there is a warm feeling about bringing a black man into the white house. he has done the job. has he done everything correctly or perfectly? no. i talk to him on a regular basis and we have a condit conversation. why did the republicans lose? as i tried to indicate it's not those of us who are being critical of them but for them to say why are we lose something. >> barack obama endorsing him, we have to make our party better by criticizing our party. i think self reflection is in order and you do too. >> you lost a battle.

you sit down skpand say this is interesting. lots of favorable reaction from the republicans. reluctant to speak out from the tea party in 2014 or 2016. things have to change. when you lose by popular vote and electoral vote and you see that 73 percent per of asian-americans and hispanic americans and 94% of african-americans voted for the president and not the party, you have to ask yourself we have to do something about immigration or tone down some of the things we have been doing and should we have gone after reducing the turn out of voters in places where we thought it would make a difference. the republican party should say we want everybody to vote and make it easier to vote and give them a reason to vote and not find ways to keep them from voting at all.

>> what do we do to get voters like you. people who identified with the republican party. i can tell you, every speech i give, i have so many republicans saying we have to get our party back. how do we become the party that has the conservative base. we are from different wings of the party, but people in my wing of the party and your wing of the party work together we win presidential elections by sweeping 49 states. republicans used to win 49 states. >> i voted for republican candidates for seven straight elections before president obama. i grew up in the party of ronald reagan. i worked for him for two years and i know what he thought. i knew he had a commitment even though he was very conservative. he voted right for the country even though he had a

conservative image. i worked for the george shuttles and george herbert walker bush. that's the republican i am. what happened in the last few years, the party shifted dramatically to the right. that's acceptable but if you stay that far to the right, you lose the country because the country is moving more towards the center. there is a demographic change. we will be a minority majority country. we can't say we will fix the message. you have to appeal to policies and the programs of the people. >> this transformation you would like to say that you think the party needs to survive, do you think that organizations like the nra are impeding that transformation from happening? >> the nra and others who are gun control advocates have to take a look at what they have been doing as well. the american people have been

devastated by what happened at newtown and other places. another one yesterday. i think one of the things we have to do a message i would like to see, we are not taking away your second amendment rights. i say it again. we are not taking away your second amendment rights. i have guns and i am prepared to protect my family. but i want to make sure people buying guns have been checked so we know who is buying guns. why do people object to that? with respect to assault rifles and registration, i hope that we can find common ground. you are not going to get it all. the whole biden proposal. i hope the nra will realize that the american people want to see something done and it is not affecting the second amendment. they say a well-regulated militia.

>> i was thinking about the gun debate alone -- [ applause ] that's a perfect example of how things have gone a wry. when he talks about second amendment and people can still own guns and protect themselves in their homes with a wide array of legal weapons, both hand guns and long rifles and shotguns as well. we are talking about a specific kind of weapon a military assault weapon. when the general lived his with those in his hands came out on "morning joe" and said they have noplace, they are designed to do one thing. kill people. the blogger went after him and said i have to have one of these when the government comes to knock down my door. >> the problem is that this whole mentality that the government is coming after us,

it is true that the second amendment was written to protect the people from the government, but the reality is the government is not coming after you. the second amendment is not tagged. you can own guns legally, but we need to put some procedures and constraints in place because of what's happening. >> scalia agrees with us as does clarence thomas as does sam alito. the supreme court said you can regulate gun ownership and certainly, tom this is why the nra always loses the argument if you have a debate instead of having them hurl insults. at the end of the day, the justification is survivalist. the black helicopters are coming. i need this assault rifle to kill soldier when is they come to my house. >> for gets at a larger issue,

the sporting gun owners need to speak up. >> they are starting to. >> the next four years, a wide variety have to get involved in the natural debate. it's not just about what goes on when it comes to climate change or when it comes to what we do about medicare and social security and how we deal with that. the aarp has dug in on those issues. there is going to have to be a development and it's a challenge for the president. i can offer the republican party. >> they are holding their breath right now. get their note pads out. >> they are where the democrats were. the democrats had gone completely to the left and didn't represent the working class and the hard hats and the kids going to vietnam. the democratic party was going the way of the goony bird.

bill clinton came along and other efforts developed a third way. when bill clinton ran against george bush who had a 75% approval rate before that election he reorganized the party and spoke to the american people in an entirely different way. it wasn't theology. it was what are we going to do political low for the middle class and working class. i will be your chance. >> tom brocaw talked about where nixon won 49 states. ronald reagan won 49 states. it was the democrats held captive by special interest on the far left. now the republicans are being held captive by special interest on the far right. >> the key moment was 1985 right after -- this week. when ronald reagan -- it was too cold. a lot too cold for democrats.

they couldn't find anybody to vote for them. 49 states and wipe odd. clinton and gore and a lot of people who took that technology. they found a way to talk about values in a way that framed it in terms of the student and advancement of the middle class. i think the most important thing that can happen for the republicans is a republican leadership council akin to the democratic leadership council. when will clind on did that work bill clinton started winning elections. >> what do they need to do? >> i think they need a strong competitive republican party. i think the party has to start moving towards the right and recognizing the societal and demographic changes taking

place. we have to demonstrate we are a party of the people and not just a party of the elitists and the super pac guys. we have to stop saying the 47%. that was a terrible line. we have to convince the american people especially the minorities that the party has an agenda for you. we can help you get education for your children and home ownership and all the things americans want. the party drifted away from that and moved very far to the right on issues that are very important to the base of the party, but not that important to the rest of america. the party has a 26% favorability rating. 47% unfavorable. that should have alarm bells going off all over the party. >> you have grover norquist and the nra and republicans that say something behind the scenes at least to us in frons to your

comments on guns. they had to wait and it hasn't been many. >> if i can interject, it's not just guns. it was on afghanistan and moving away from a neoconservative approach. they all said we would love to. >> what is the reality? >> the reality is if you speak against the orthodoxy of the right wing you are going to get hammered. >> how? >> they captured the message of the republican party. after i gave my presentation last sunday they all went to town. talk radio and talk television. i have been shot at for real. they are all coming after me. this and that.

what i kept waiting for one of them to say, you know it may be what he is saying. don't you think we ought to look at ourselves? no. if you go against the orthodoxy, you are going to get hammer and be prepared to be hammered. we need more people. >> no way for a party to live. >> mike during this vast election cycle, i said i was voting for mitt romney but i was critical of the press conference a day after a soldier was killed overseas. that happened throughout the entire campaign. no self reflection. the romney people were saying we screwed up but no self reflection for a party that had an 18% approval rating. the tea party has 9%.

we are run by a small group. it's destroying our electoral prospects. >> one of the issues that we are talking about is the currency of language today. both in politics and in the country. the currency of language you hear on the radio or you hear on tv or on the floor of the united states senate or house of representatives. it's polarized. you are on that side and i'm on this side. they said it's like watch alg small wave build and it's this undefinable fear of government. some people, not a lot. it's out there. it's almost combined with you are not coming to take my guns. the government is not going to take my gun. you particular my house. you took the factory out of town where i grew up. you took my parents's job.

you are taking my health care. it's a rhetorical thing that's going on in the country. the people in washington too many of them don't hear the country. they hear specific elements of their own small constituencies. # they don't hear the country. when the president takes an oath yesterday, the senate is incurring it. they don't take it to the district. it's for the country. you take the oath to the country. >> i think that mike is correct on that. if you put together what valerie had to say about the president going to the country a lot more and look at the last poll the most encouraging numbers for the president at this stage in the beginning of the second term 71% said they like him personally. he has good will when he goes out there. the big challenge it seems to me

is not just for the president, but for congress and the country alike. we are never going to give up and we ought not to. we need to have a strong system and need to have the independent voices as well. we have to acknowledge that there issues that are not shake and bake. mixing the economy and doing something about entitlements. performing a tax code and it spreads out from there getting an education and they control all of that. everybody has to be on board. what we have not talked about, the new health care plan that kicks in and there is going to be a lot of turmoil in the various states. it's going to take a lot of good will. >> this country rests on two points of view.

our founding fathers did it. what they did is find areas that compromise. the only way compromise such as the terrible issue of slavery, at that point you get compromise and you get consensus and you move forward. if no one is willing to compromise and you are stuck, the country will not move forward. we need two opposing parties. >> we need to let you go but will you, if asked, be a part of strengthening the republican party? will you take an active in trying to bring the republican party back? >> to the extent i can. when i speak my myself i have more effect. the republicans who are not anxious to pick up what you have been saying and tom is saying and what i am saying they have to put garlic around their neck.

>> they will speak out and i have been criticized for it before. as i say, i have been shot at before. >> thank you, general. >> a nice way to look at things. that's perspective. thank you. tom brocaw, thank you as well. up next "hardball's" chris matthews joins us live and maureen douden. keep tweeting us. we will retweet and accepted our behind the scenes photos as well. you are watching "morning joe" live from the dubliner.

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>> a live look. this is from the museum. we are at the dubliner. we have three lovely girls in pink here. two little sisters. big sister? got it right. # >> can i have that hat? how are y'all doing? >> can i borrow your hat?

i need it for a day. >> you may not have it. good to see you girls. hoild are you? >> 6. >> you will have a great time today. >> go back to mommy. joining us now, he's at the museum. host of "hardball" chris matthew, the host of jack kennedy, elusive hero. >> chris matthews great to have you here. you and i talk about it all the time. i said this. we are suckers. we love this stuff. we believe that a country begins a new on january 20th. what are you hoping to see? >> when you were learning grammar, you wanted a topic paragraph. the inaugural address is going to have to be that. what we will be up to the next

four years. i wouldn't mind eisenhower. i want to see them build the highway system and bring education of higher level and keep us at peace. let's not go to war with iran and rebuild the country. everything. trains and automobiles. we goat them. let's go with highways and bridges and a sense of a future again. let's not do maintenance work. >> what do you think in terms of where the congress goes next. you were on the hill in 81 and watched reagan give a memorable address and then you watched him and tip o'neal go to work. as opposed to today and the next ten days and the next three months look like. >> the problem was back when you had ronald reagan elected with a

strong mandate and operating on that and the democrats recognizing that they won big time now we know whose turn it is. it's his turn at bat. there was a sense for him to do what he can do. the president won on taxes and the budget and building of defense. they understood that was the way it was. reagan blew it on social security. they fixed the democratic way, with taxes. there was a recognition when you played from the time you were a kid and you played war games as a 5 or 6-year-old kid, you shoot someone and they say you got me. # elections don't seem to end anything. the public opinion doesn't end. no one says i'm it. you got me. it's a high stakes game and you

have to play it. people in the tea party said my way of playing is i'm taking the ball and going home. i'm not playing this game. that's a problem for the country. a real problem. >> you had your hands at speech writing. what is the moment that we are in right now that he needs to define and seize upon and perhaps even inspire. >> i think he has to go for the future and has to go and say look we can disagree and certain things have to get done. there is an opportunity for common ground. each party, i wrote about the mom and the dad party. the idea that the democratic party is good on health and education and the republicans were good on locking their doors at night and law and order and

punishment and tough stuff. there is an opportunity to put them together. the democrats are never going to do the tough requirements on the guy sneaking across the border. that's what we ought to focus about. they bring them in legally. the republicans can put the teeth in and democrats can put the nice thing on those who have been here a number of years. each party has the strength and instincts they have to find the way of working together. i think they can. the democrats can give to the republicans and the republicans to the democrats. when it works, it works well. they can play the party and lock it in together. when they don't want to work together, they don't. >> we are looking now at the

president of the united states and the first lady taking a very short drive from the white house across lafayette park to st. john's church. again, part of the ritual and the ceremony we see every four years. >> it's a wonderful church. it combines colonial and classic architecture and it's light inside. that's the rector a graduate of the university of the south. an important detail. we also have the wonderful bipartisan nature of st. john's. he also prayed at one of george w. bush's inaugurations. there he is with another president. the bell in the tower is made from the melted cannon from the war of 1812. it's an historic building. >> we have our --

>> too opposite? >> no. i thought that was good. having godless anglicans around comes in hando election day. >> low church or high church or broad church? how would you define st. john's? >> very good question and a broad church. the president's pew is number 7, but it's a christian church. >> st. john's has been operating at the church. >> andrew jackson and john quincy adams. >> they didn't speak to each other. >> chris, thank you so much for being with us. you are going to be heading up coverage and we are excited and can't wait to see it. >> thanks a lot.

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>> welcome back to "morning joe" live. let me introduce you to julia. two twin brothers here. conor, what are you looking for the most? >> sleep. i woke up at 4:00 in the morning to come here. >> this is the highlight of your day? >> yes. >> you are not supposed to say that. >> what do you want the president to work on the most in the next years? >> probably just trying to push

harder to make everything fair. >> like improve your mets? >> hopefully, yeah. >> that's one of the big goals. >> i want him to take away the guns from other people because for a girl like me it scares me if i got killed. >> of course. how old are you in. >> 8. >> you are very intelligent. we have a little round of applause for our young experts here.

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here with us now. >> the president also walking into the church. bell trivia. # the bell was melted down from the war of 1812. nobody cared. >> more godless anglicans with us now. maureen dowd. >> and andre leon tally. can you believe this? your heart jumped. >> look at this. >> you are going to wear that? >> i will. # we had colin powell on. once a year he was going to write, but he decided not to.

i kept looking for his column. >> kevin, i asked him to write from the belly of the beast and the conservative beast and called and said where is the column? he said i'm too depress and he said i can't write about politics. if you want me to write about movies or sports call me. i said what does it feel like to be devoid of a soul? >> we will have an intervention. you have been i think supportive of the president at times and tough on the fact that this man has not always been as effective as he should have been using the tools of his office. are you hopeful he learned from his mistakes of the first four years? >> i had dinner with a top obama official and he was talking about how the president saved the country and brought us back and what a great job he had done and he paused and said i have to

admit that this white house can use a little more tony soprano. they just need to tinker with the balance like and get that carrots and sticks and pulling the levers right. >> it's fascinating that you say that. so many people have been close to the president for four or five years who said no everything is fine. he's great. even they are starting to say to us, he has to pick up the phone and start talking to senators and congress men more and this is not about partisan. this is a personal thing. he's out of his comfort zone. he has to learn to schmooze. >> he had his mother's son. he is an anthropologist and looking at the natives and what are the stupid natives done? he has to get in there and try to push and get some of his

stuff done. >> i want to talk about the pageantry of it all. you want to have fun? >> i asked him to come to washington and we went to a brunch and talked to the president about the banks. that's the most pressing issue. >> that's kind of important. >> exactly. when i said how do you like her bags he said michelle always looks beautiful. >> that's the right story. >> how do you like the bangs? >> the bangs are fantastic. the greatest thing about her is you can shop your closet.

you don't have to have a new black dress every time you step out. her substance is more important than her style although i love what she is wearing. the tom brown coats is different from her first inaugural coat and dress. it's a different color. she knows how to signal that she is thinking about the message she is sending to the world and it's not a message of extravagance. >> it is a message that you send. you can't under estimate that. >> not at all. i love that she went to the children's inaugural concert in 2008 and last night she wore michael kors that she wore in 2009. she is definitely saying you can be fabulous with an old dress or old look. you don't have to have new clothes every time you step out. >> that's a relief. >> what message do colors have?

he knows i'm a fashion plate. >> when he came in. >> colors convey a mood but the color she wore at the inaugural brunch was festive. it was like a teal color. last night she was elegant, almost jackie kennedy style. she into simple styles for the occasions. she is into music and wears leggings. >> we are going tote next question, please. # >> last time was four years ago. i shop my closet every day. you finish your answer.

>> we think we are going to have the daughters become inspiration for young girls who are hardworking. your daughter will look at the colors the daughters chose for their coat this is morning. >> exactly. meachem. >> you have been writing in a way about four presidents. what do you think in the years the best moment was for an achievement that brought the country together that is emulatable? >> that's interesting. >> the first gulf war or is it -- it wasn't 9/11. >> i thought obama's speech was

an example of hope to inspire and seize the moment but as bob said, it's got to be more than a speech. you have to get your hands dirty. it's both. you have to inspire and come down from the mountain. >> the other reason you are speaking to people around the president and much of what you hear and the caveat that is not in his nature can make a deal. # he walks right up to the edge and can't win. unless you are with me. you can't do that. >> it's interesting. i can visualize on this show about five years from now. you will be discussing obama and his memoire. it's going to be the most brilliant memoire outside of

ulysses grant. >> that's love. >> you are going to be saying we are trying to figure out who this guy is and has amazing insights. why couldn't he apply that to washington and gotten it to work better? they were top downers and there was a san francisco tech guy saying less here and more here. that's the yearning you feel from people around him. stand up and do what's in your heart. >> good lord. >> i'm curious to know -- >> what's the message? >> your message is always fabulous. i think the message is correct. it's who you are. the shirt is incredible. is it true that he designed your

looks? >> yes and doing more. >> wow. >> what do you think -- >> it's elegant. in 1989 women stopped wearing stockings. jill biden and first lady obama had no stockings and men had no socks. it's cool not to wear socks. >> the only thing he said when i leave the house is can you return it. >> that's awful. thank you guys so much. >> the shopt laundry basket routine. >> for works. >> thank you as well for being with us. great to see you both. we'll be right back with much more "morning joe" straight ahead.

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the mall. still here with us at the bar, not surprising, mike and michael. >> he was here all last night. >> this jacket feels like a puppy. it's so soft. see? check it out. >> there you go. billy mitchell. joinings conversation "morning joe" economic analyst steve ratner. >> always a financier. >> and margaret karlton is back with us. let's start with the top story. president obama begins his second term and no longer in a free fall. the employment rate was back to where it was when he took off at 7.8% and the dow jones up 5,000 points compared to 2009. also up way up the national

debt. ballooning for $10 trillion in his first inauguration to $16 trillion now. yesterday on "meet the press," former senior adviser david axelrod said growing the economy will continue to be a priority for this administration. >> a larger priority is how do you create an economy in which the american dream and it's fresh approximate people feel like they can get ahead. that's about education and researching development and controlling our energy. all of these are part of the equation. >> president obama has outlined debt reduction as a top priority and high on the list is immigration reform and developing renewable energy and perhaps the most urgent for the president is gun control. why don't we stop there.

>> mark carlson, we have been talking about general powell and others about the president's challenges and talking about the republican party challenges as well. michael steel and i have been talking about this. a party that is going with 26% approval rating and a speaker with an 18% approval rating and the president is liked by 7 in 10 americans. we have to start asking tough questions. do you see that happening? >> michael and i have been having coffee and eggs and he calls your party the stupid party for not thinking of those numbers all the time. >> for should be our ob seg. >> what are we going to do? >> why would you after newtown come out and seem to be progun. give it a rest forever a while

and as mika said, be for background checks. the nra is for background checks. the nra will say they are for something and ruin it by all these amendments as they did with the first assault weapon ban and said we are not going to do this because it doesn't work. after they foil it. you think there would be a respite. newtown did make a difference. the financeurs that you know and the 500 points that mika brings up why is not the business community and because you are not one, you are a former treasurer, 'they not more proobama? democrats help more than republicans. >> let's put up for wall street. you think that wall street would love president obama because it's been a heck of a ride for them. >> every time i see that i have that exact thing. >> i have the numbers.

>> i think it's the largest increase of any president. that's almost double since he became president. some of the rhetoric and the substance that happened over the last four years, business is not in his corner. it changed a lot when the president and the stupid party decided they wanted to go near the cliff if not over the cliff. they said this is not how you run a railroad. they reached out to business which had not done as well. >> even though they didn't support him, the end balance was huge. he is a forgiving guy. >> the support was not there because of the hot rhetoric from the administration and demonizing and demi goinging inggoinging.

they are intricate parts because of the business owners who populate main street feed into that wall street success as well. the other thing for the republicans i think, this is something you put up the numbers and it struck me. four years ago when the administration came in and it talked in grand terms about what we were going to do. subskwept to that you have $6 trillion of added debt and 21 million people are unemployed. for the republican party, that's your focus. how in light of the wall street balloon that we see here how do you have an economy that will sustain this debt for 21 million people? >> things are great on wall street. they are just not good on main street. you look at wall street and see those numbers and people have

made trillions of dollars over the past four years. you look at other numbers, the median household wages are down in real terms. poverty is up. the national debt is growing more under this president in one term than it grew under george w. bush in two terms. i was partially critical of president bush because he spent so much money, but we had martin o mall o'malley who refused to say anything. the day of reckoning is coming for republicans and democrats. are we going to be able to do what we have to do? >> there is not a lot of sign of it. the two parties are so much in their corner. they don't want to touch revenues. the democrats have a lot of reservations and it's hard to be optimistic that over the next few months we will get a

meaningful deal out of it. business is inherently more republican. the republicans have managed to hurt themselves with business over the last few months because of the crazy approaches they are taking. wall street had a great four years or a very good four years. they see life through dodd frank and they have nothing in the president's corner. we have this huge challenge and putting off the debt ceiling is not going to solve the problem. we will see what happens. >> i will say that we have been talking about mistakes that have been made and they can put themselves in a terrible position. i was glad to see it. it was a smart move to put off the debt ceiling for three months and tell democrats we will do what no label said they will do. we will say pass a budget for the first time in four years,

democrats. we will pass a budget and work together to try to solve the crisis. >> for almost seems like the hard thing, neither side wants to have to do. at some point, we will go off a cliff as a country and as a society. we have to do hard things in order to get the fiscal situation under control so that we don't pass down to our children a terrible economy and terrible future financially and also in terms of guns. other social issues. the issues related to the gun issue. mental health and violence in the media. we have to do this. both parties do not want to do the hard things. >> you make an interesting point. all have a cost whether it's a financial cost or emotional cost. it has a cost to the greater society and what the american people i think have been saying

for about four or five years now, maybe you would agree with that. going back to the tail end of the bush years. that stood out in stark contrast to the values and principals of the party. you saw this small rebel yon begin at the town hall meetings. the people reacting to a lot of those things that matter to them being ignored and not appreciating the cost of them. the president has a chance and he can put into real terms what the costs are and to your point say i'm willing to do the hard stuff. the easy part is not doing the hard stuff. the task is pushing the congress and pushing the american people. we contributed to this. cut this program and not my program. those types of things where the president can come into the breech right now and send a call

to the country. we are ready it go beyond the petty partisanship. >> the second terms are the hardest and the worst, but this is his second term. he's not going to be running for anything to lead. >> it's a great opportunity to go big. to say listen we are going democrats and we will have to make tough choices on medicare and medicaid. less on social security. we need to fix that program for the long haul. the republicans have to reform the tax code and at the same time we will have to make big cuts to the military industrial complex. we cannot continue to occupy foreign countries for the next decade. # the greater challenge is more internal. look at the fact that barack obama has 52% approval rating. right track, wrong track on the

upswing. the president has great opportunities and has a party with a speaker who has an 18% approval rating. republicans have a 26% approval rating and it seems to me his biggest challenge is an internal challenge k. he get out of his comfort zone and stop being as the "new york times" said yesterday, a terrible manager and can he actually start using his skills? he's a very -- mika and i spent time talking to him. he's a very likeable guy. he's got the tools to really dominate events in this town. >> within that most recent nbc "wall street journal" poll he has the highest marks on temperament. he is a steady person and rather charming as you see when he is on one. he doesn't really impose that. he doesn't show it to john boehner. i don't think there is anything that obama, having a whiskey or

mer lot is not going to change anything. boehner saw the numbers that we have been discussing and said let's get three months on this debt ceiling vote and chuck schumer said we are going to present a budget. that's not such a big deal except where they never present a budget. they don't want to come up with any of the hard choices. every time the democrats do something as obama did on medicare, it's death panels. you have to somehow join hands in order to be able to do this. all the cuts that obama made to medicare, he got blasted for by republicans. >> right. >> good point. >> he got blasted for them by romney. not all the republicans. >> he did decide to use that money to start an entitlement program. it would have been nice to move that money to the side.

we will see what happens. you are right. everyone will have to join hands and make the tough choices. the bigger the deal the better the chance to get involved. >> "time" magazine's joe kline and willie geist is live. he's on the parade route. willie geist what do you have coming up next? >> mika, you guys are inside a warm bar. i'm outside in the cold. i'm doing something wrong here clearly. we will update you on what will happen out here today. the president will come by shortly. a good size crowd gathering. we will give you the lowdown when we come back here on "morning joe." [ human league plays "i'm only human" ] [ ship horn blows ] no, no, no! stop!

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. >> taking a look at live pictures coming into us. i'm not sure what it is at this point. we are watching. >> the secret service guys. >> don't give me information. joining us now, willie geist is at the u.s. navy memorial alongside the parade route. how is it going? >> how are you doing? i miss you up at the bar. you may notice festive and patriotic and loud music. forgive us on that. i'm about half away long. it's 1.2 miles for the capital to the white house. the navy memorial may be a little more than halfway. president obama will zip over there after he has coffee up pennsylvania avenue and be innaugurate and have lunch and then the slow parade speed where

he comes down and the crowd is not big yet. the gates are open and has time to get in here. the estimate four years ago was 1.8 million people along the parade route. this time it will be 500 to 700,000 people. a lot less than last time. the president is expected to get out of the car and he did that twice four years ago. right now there is more security out here than people. it's still early if the day, but they have state troopers from the utah highway patrol and behind them from the alabama state highway patrol. people have come from all over the country to make sure this goes off without a hitch. whether-wise, not bad. it was freezing cold. supposed to be about 45 degrees and if there is any rain or snow, it will come later in the afternoon.

shaping up to be a good day. not as good as the governor but not a bad place to watch the operate. >> always great to see you. >> with us right now, politico columnist for "time" magazine senior editor and white house correspondent, they call him senior anything. >> breathry is with us. >> a 45 degrees, sunny. that's a bargain. most of these inaugurations are bitterly cold. >> i was freezing my butt off. it's terrible. god is smiling on america today. >> sorry that what it is? >> it's a good day and contrary

to popular belief we are seeing the ice cracking. i think the president has a bipartisan working majority for many things right now. they have taxes raised and passed the sandy relief on a bipartisan vote and they will pass immigration reform and deal with the debt ceiling. he broke the republicans's arms on that. >> still got the votes. >> sandy relief who will disagree on that? >> a lot of of people. remember how chris christie was screaming? >> screaming at -- >> house republicans. >> right. >> what happens is up until now you had something called the hastert rule in the house. republicans stood together. that has been demolished in the last month. it's going to continue to be demolished when votes on

immigration comes up and solving the sequestration money comes up and also on the budget. the real test for the president is whether he is going to go up against his own caucus to do things on medicare social security and a few other issues. >> we are looking at the president on a motorcade going down pennsylvania avenue. every time i look at the inaugural route, i can't help but go back to january 20th 1977 and jimmy carter breaking precedent and stepping out of the car and shaking hands with the american people. >> he walked the whole route. >> his four years started out well and ended batly. you have gone back and taken a look at how presidents fared. especially like this one have been reelected.

if you look back at truman administration, the first four presidents had bad second terms. they ended the four years at a low opinion and the number where they began their four years and truman down 37% and eisenhower down 14% and johnson down 22 and nixon down 27. of the seven presidents only two who actually improved their public opinion from beginning to end and surprisingly they are reagan and clinton. if you look again at the second group of numbers, you see reagan went up 1% from 62 to 63%. clinton went up four and bush was down 17. obama starts at 49 to 50 or 52%, whatever poll you look at. he starts at the lowest approval rating of any of these

presidents including president obama. >> i look at bill clinton's 66%. we sat there scratching our heads. through impeachment and perjury charge, he got disbar and his numbers keep going up. what's going on here? the guy, it was unbelievable. >> he went to mcdonald's and dated lounge singers and people felt he understood them. >> kids if you are at home -- >> i want to pick up on something joe said. i think you can be realist oik or pessimistic, but you can be constructively and look at the openings. i think notably if the president does the thing that republicans want to force to do most find a way to cut spending in a big way that includes medicare and stand up to democrats including those who are looking ahead to 2014 or 2016, but if you can take that

on and sort of defame republicans, there is a lot of opportunity whether on immigration or energy policy and what made big strides to be a lot of accomplishment and the role in the world where he is going to have to face a lot and has the potential to have lot of good will on how he handled these crisis. these could define the second term. >> he did set off a foreign policy team to shape that as well that looks different. >> it does look different than the first term. it is about returning america home and defining what engagement looks like in a second term. he just got tax increases and he wants more revenue. if he can find a way to say i will cut sending in a big way and has the ability of splitting

that republican coalition and he seems to be interested in doing. >> he was very close in the senate to the senator from oklahoma. if you spend 15 minutes with him as i did recently, he has ways to reduce spending on medicare that also improves service. the system is a mess. i think if i'm barack obama which obviously i'm not, but pafr ever we are in a bar and he's about to get inaugurated. >> would invite him to dinner about how to make medicare better and cheaper. >> here told us and tells a lot of people that's not who i am. i get a feeling the president is ready to get out of his comfort zone and reach out to democrats and republicans. >> there is this idea that the second term we have about a year and a half or so to do something. it seems obvious that there is

going to be two major things that irregardless of what he does, two major things will happen. immigration reform because republicans understand what not to do. the second is ending the war in afghanistan. those will happen under the president's watch in the second term. now we get to the other things that seems like a much harder thing. entitlement reform spending cuts. i think you have been right on a lot of these things with the republican party. the republican party is starting to realize that it behooves them to cut deals and we have to understand the limits. they may have retained the house, but they have to be more constructively. that does bode well for what the president wants to do. >> get caught trying to do things. that was bill clinton's big thing. we are going to get caught

trying to solve the crisis even though there is a possibility of failure. >> do you go big on guns. >> that is challenging your own base. hollywood and video graeme games. the red state people. >> i want to double down on that. because the president has not come out aggressively and gone after the video game makers. he has two young girls. i had two young boys that grew up over the past ten years, happy birthday yesterday, andrew. i will tell you what they have seen over the past deak ead and what their friends have seen between the violent video games and laughing at the quentin tarantino movies that are a celebration of blood and violence. liberals will not take on their own constituency. they say joe, great job taking on your friends at the nra.

that's great when you take them on. they won't do it. >> there is a more serious problem and listening to you guys an hour ago, nobody mentioned mental health. if we do not reform a mental health system that allows violent people with histories of mental illness to go uncontrolled then you can pass any gun control thing in the world which i'm in favor of doing, but you will still have that problem. >> joe mansion has been talking about it and we have been talking about it. >> i agree with that. the reason is if you read into it you are right about the video games. they won't start a dialogue. >> the question is this. does the president do something that he knows may fail? he has been reluctant to get it voted down in the past? >> to that end, she willing to

do something on medicare. you will see that coming before this is over. >> as far as guns go if i'm the president of the united states and looking at the polls that show 85% of americans want universal background checks and i'm seeing that 70% of americans want to take on the high capacity magazines and the assault weapons are a 60-40 proposition, sometimes as the late senator from illinois and politics when you lose, you win. i'm looking to 2014. i'm pushing hard and saying if the republicans want to see the approval ratings go down more. >> they just might. coming up political director joins us from across the white house and tweet us your thoughts and photos from today's inauguration inauguration. we will be looking for you. we have been getting wonderful responses and pictures so far. keep hoo t here on "morning joe."

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hmmm. uh... yeah, can you find a take where it's a bit more dramatic on that last line, yeah? yeah i got it right here. someone help me!!! i have a flat tire!!! well it's good... good for me. what do you think? geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. ♪ you know my heart burns for you... ♪ i'm up next, but now i'm singing the heartburn blues. hold on, prilosec isn't for fast relief. cue up alka-seltzer. it stops heartburn fast. ♪ oh what a relief it is! ♪ >> moments ago we were watching the president leaving st. john's church and leaving with his family to the white house to meet for morning tea before the big inauguration.

here with the waiting room only crowd. we are going to play a quick game. two people. you, young lady. reluctantly volunteering. # you see the lipstick on this? this is worth a lot of money. that's mika's. we are going to do presidents in reverse order. we will start with the 44th. are you ready? he's getting inaugurated today. >> president obama. >> applause? >> who was before obama. >> george bush. >> clinton. >> now starting to get more interesting. >> bush. >> reagan. >> all right. >> carter. >> peanuts. >> ford. >> nixon. >> very good. >> before nixon.

>> johnson? >> johnson. round of applause. before johnson. >> kennedy. >> truman? eisenhower? >> who was before truman? >> eisenhower. >> you get to have it. we are watching the president on this very important day, the second inauguration of barack obama. great job. #

"morning joe." we have a shot inside the white house of the first family. returning back to the white

house. now let's go across the street to lafayette park where nbc news correspondent and director and host of the daily run down chuck todd is with us. chuck, set scene. >> mr. scarborough, they're back and in about 20 minutes congressional leaders and wives will be joining the president and vice president and first family and second family for a coffee. this would be during the first inaugurals, the time where you have the outgoing president and incoming president getting together. outgoing and incoming getting together for reelection and second inaugurals. all considering that this is spouses in hand. i don't think we are looking at any business getting done if anybody is curious. today is a day to celebrate democracy. >> i was struck by what i heard from not only maureen dowd, but other who is have a good

relationship with the white house. even though close to the president say over the next four years, we hope our guy learns to compromise more and deal with congress a little bit more. first of all, are you hearing that? secondly what else are you hearing from the white house staff and the workers there? what's the mood? >> i would describe it as boy ant and the president as sort of very comfortable and second term presidents are. think about what he was facing. a bunch of problems before he took the oath. he was trying to get the senate to pass the second part of t.a.r.p. it was almost economic pandemonium and all of the problems and this time he gets

to control a little bit more than he did four years ago. on that front he feels more boy ant. the president doesn't accept this criticism that he has not reached out more. he feels like he has reached out and his hand is slapped away. this criticism and i know we have talked to the same democrat who is said they think the president can do a better job and some of the complaints i hear come from democrats that wish the president handled congress differently, but as far as the president is concerned, that's not the way he sees it. i think that's one of the cases. they are talking and see two different visions. >> i was saying most reporters even some that are sympathetic to him, they are hearing it from democrats as well. we bring that up and people think we are talking about

republicans as opposed to democrats. it's the democratic leaders especially that have complained for four years. >> on that same theme, i have been struck in the last two days. it's a very different thing than talking or experiencing it. anecdotally in the city, the off leave of this story, about negotiation and dealing with the president of the united states the increasing role of the vice president of the united states and getting these things done am i wrong and hearing things wrong? >> i tell you this. it's the most underrated politician in washington is joe biden. this guy methodically, by the way, is preparing for a 2016 run. you don't happen to have the governor over to your residence in order for a weekend ceremony

in the inaugural weekend. is not just by happen stance. you don't go to the iowa state dinner that is held here in washington over the weekend by accident. i think there is a sense of particularly in biden's world, a separate shock if you will from the president's political shock. he is looking at the he played. he is going to continue to play the back slapper role with congress. that's not the president. he hired joe biden to slap the backs of congress. that's not what the president wanted to do. i think biden is seeing it as an opportunity to build his own political resume for four years from now. this is happening and it's active and i think people in the city of new york under estimate joe biden. >> we never talk much about it

but the obama campaign and obama for america was converted to organizing for action. my question member to the competition is what's that going to mean for congressional and pushing policy on the hill? does the white house think it will be nice or to get the agenda passed through congress? >> . >> they took the organization and moved it within the dnc. organizing for america. democratic leaders would complain to the white house when ofa volunteers would lobby democratic members and they hated it. this time take it out of the umbrella of the democratic party and allow the democratic party to can't control it, if you will. yes, it's going to be.

what i don't know if what role can this new version -- obama for america and organizing for america and now it's organizing for action. if this new version can get republican votes and that's what i can't figure out yet. >> chuck todd thank you. we're watching the lee university choir out of cleveland singing on the wall here. lots of beautiful sights and sounds throughout the day. we'll be right back live from the dubliner on inauguration day in washington, d.c. i'm jessica simpson. and this year is all about new beginnings for me. i lost over 50 lbs on weight watchers and did not have to be perfect to do it. being healthy has become a part of who i am which is great timing because i'm having another baby. i feel like i'm on top of the world. introducing the new weight watchers 360 program. because when

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what a morning! we have had collin powell onset. that's been exciting. >> that's good. >> maureen doude, chris matthews. we get a high school student here onset drinking a beer. >> oh boy. >> that's exciting. >> call the police. here's a look back. ♪ >> i don't care what the counter intuitive historians say.

his second term is so much more difficult than his first term. >> and a lot of things have happened that need to be grown on or corrected. >> president obama is saying he's going to keep that base of his, that coalition alive, and he's going to organize them to act. >> he's got more confidence. he's got a united party. and he's got this second term opportunity. >> we are in the middle of a clearly deranged crowd here. i'm very disturbed. sandy -- >> this is the super bowl the red sox in the red series and joe scarborough in the white house. >> we love you, joe. >> i know you do. you have just made it harder for me to ever get back involved in republican politics. >> and bringing you closer and closer, joe. >> i need some beer over here. >> we are getting the general a drink. >> he's a republican. he can't drink. >> i never drink on duty but it

is inauguration. >> cheers! bottoms up! >> let me be correct here you do your thing, i do my thing. how old are you? >> 6. >> 6! you're going to have a great time today. in that time there've been some good days. and some difficult ones. but, through it all we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our anniversary matter to you? because for 200 years we've been helping ideas move from ambition to achievement. and the next great idea could be yours. ♪ ♪

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americans. god bless our country and god bless our president. >> and god bless america. mika, got a few friends here. who are you going to meet today? >> miss michelle